Wilhelm schleicher



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. SGHLEIOHER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

' No. 428,959. Patented May 2'7, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. W, SCHLEIOHER.

FOLDING CHAIR. v No. 428,959. Patented May 27, 1899.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILI-IELM SOHLEICHER, OF DUSSELDORF-ON-THE-RHINE, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SFECIFIGATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,959, dated May 27,1890.

Application filed August 29, 1889.

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM SOHLEIOHER, of the city ofDusseldorf-onthe-Rhine, in the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to folding chairs for theaters, concert -halls,and other public buildings; and it has for its object to provide a newand improved construction, whereby the seats and backs of the chairs canbe so folded as to provide exit-passages at right angles to the usualpassages between the rows of chairs, thus enabling the building to bequickly cleared in case of fire or other danger.

The object of theinvention is accomplished by the features ofconstruction and combination of devices hereinafter described, andspecifically set forth in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation showingthe seat and back in position for use; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of thesame; Fig. 3, a side elevation showing the seat and back foldedparallel, or substantially so, to the chair-standard, Fig. 4, a rearelevation of the same; Fig. 5, a perspective view, partly broken away,showing the seat and back in position for use.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvent-ion, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawin gs, wherein The letter A indicates the folding chairseat, hingedor pivoted at one side edge to a chair frame or standard 13 C, as at ab, to swing in a vertical plane from ahorizontal to a perpendicularposition. The front part or' section B of each frame or standardcomprises a leg and an arm-rest, and the rear part or section comprisestwo parallel plates, between which is pivoted one end of a lowerback-section D, as at d, while to one plate of the frame or standard 0is pivoted, as at d, one end of an upper back-section D.

I have shown the upper end of the link 6 connected with the tail-piece dof the back- Serial No. 322,292. (No model.)

section D, such tail-piece having a lateral pin or stud (1 passingthrough a segmental slot (1 in the upper end of the part 0 of thechair-frame. The pin or stud (Z is back or at one side of the pivot-pind, and after passing through the slot (Z is secured to the link 6,whereby the pin or stud d in the movement of the back-section D travelsin and is guided by the edges of the slot. The other back-section D isalso provided with a tailpiece 6 back of its pivot-pin d, to which theadjacent ends of both links (2 e are pivoted, and the seat A is providedwith a tail-piece I), also located at one side of and, preferably, abovethe seat-pivot Z), to which tail-piece the lower end of the link 6 ispivotally attached. The pivot-pins b d d become fulcrums for the seatand back sections, as leverage is exerted by the tail-pieces in raisingand lowering the seat and back sections in vertical parallel planes. Asthe seat is swung upward to a perpendicular position the sectionscomprising the back are swung downward, so that the seat and back standsubstantially parallel with one of the chair frames or standards B O, asin Figs. 3 and 4.

In a continuous row of chairs of the type described and shown the frameor standard of one chair forms the frame or standard of the next oradjacent chair, and by the improved construction and arrangementcontinuous passage-ways may be provided at right angles to the usualpassage-ways between the several rows of chairs, thereby materiallyfacilitating the exit of a large an- -dicnce.

The frames or standards B C may be provided with projections orbrackets, as at c, to support the free side edges of the folding seats.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationof a chair-frame, a swinging back-section pivoted thereto and having atail-piece extending back of the pivot, a seat pivot-ed to thechair-frame and swinging in a plane parallel with the plane of movementof the back-section, and a link pivoted to the tail-piece of theback-section and to the seat adjacent to its pivot, substan tially asdescribed.

2. The combination of nchainfmme,upper In testimony whereof I havesigned my and lower back-sections independently pivname to thisspecification in the presence of 10 oted to the chair-frame and eachhaving a two subscribing Witnesses. mil-piece back of its pivot, a linkpivotaiiy connecting the two tail-pieces, a seat pivoted \VILHELMSCHLEIOI'IER. to the chair-frame, and a link pivotnlly con- VVitnesses:

necting the seat with the tail-piece of the D. J. PARTELLO,

lower back-section, substantiall y as described. FRITZ POTTHART.

